Month: March 2014

Discovering that your website is listed first on Google Search for the products or services your organization offers is the dream of every business owner and marketer, but this is no easy task. In order to be #1, you must first understand that Google’s primary objective is to provide searchers with the best user-experience possible by delivering quality content that is highly relevant to their search queries. As a result, the only way Google will allow your website to reach the coveted first position, is if it helps them achieve this objective.

Follow these five steps to start improving your rankings in Google now:

Step 1: Target a Niche

The first step in implementing a successful search engine optimization (SEO) strategy that will drive your website to the #1 position in Google is to clearly identify and target a niche. If you’re like most businesses, you offer multiple products or services to different customer segments. So, identify the specific product or service you wish to promote, and the specific customer segment you wish to promote it to. Targeting a niche reduces your competition and also results in higher quality traffic to your website.

For example, let’s say you own a law practice in Tampa, FL. You likely want people who are searching for a lawyer in Tampa to find your website. In this scenario, not only are you competing against every other law firm in Tampa, but everyone who searches for a lawyer in Tampa is not necessarily interested in the specific practice area(s) you offer. So, in order to reduce your competition and increase the quality of visitors, you must narrow the focus of your SEO strategy to targeting people in Tampa who are in need of the specific practice area(s) your firm offers. If your firm specializes in multiple practice areas, focus initially on one or two areas that are the most profitable, or least competitive. Note that the logic in this example can be applied to any business, not just law firms.

Step 2: Select The Right Keywords

After you have identified your niche, the next step is to select relevant keywords. Your choice of keywords can have a significant impact on the success of your SEO strategy. This step requires research. Some key points that should be taken into consideration while researching and making your keyword selections are:

How competitive are the keywords?

How often are those keywords searched?

How relevant are the keywords to the customer segment you’re targeting?

How relevant are the keywords to your product or service offering?

If you are unsure which keywords you should target, we suggest reaching out to an SEO company in Tampa for professional assistance. Keep in mind that SEO is dynamic, so you should be prepared to evaluate and modify your keywords over time.

Step 4: Create Engaging Content

Once you have identified your niche and selected relevant keywords, it’s time to create engaging content using those keywords. Remember, Google’s primary goal is to provide the best user-experience possible to searchers. Therefore, in addition to relevancy, Google measures site engagement to determine if your website is providing their searchers with relevant and useful content. If your site engages visitors, this means they are finding the content it provides to be of value, which helps Google achieve its primary objective. As a result, Google will attribute more authority to your website and rankings will increase.

It is also important to continuously add fresh, engaging content to your website and give both searchers and Google a reason to keep coming back. Not only does this make your website a valuable resource for potential customers, but it let’s Google know that your website is an authoritative resource for your niche.

Step 5: Measure and Improve

The final step is to measure the results of your work and make improvements. Are your keyword selections generating the right kind of traffic? Are visitors engaging with your content? Is your website generating conversions? A successful SEO strategy requires constant analysis and improvement. The job is never done, because Google is always evolving and so are your competitors.

Follow these five steps, and you can greatly increase your chances of finding your website in the top position on Google.

For information on our Tampa SEO services, please call us at (866) 611-6267 or submit our free consultation request form today.

You spend a lot of time working on your email marketing campaign, but is anyone reading your emails? Your open rate can tell you a lot about your campaign and how successful it may or may not be. Email open rates can depend on factors which are out of your control, such as your industry, but there are other factors within your control that can have a significant impact as well.

Here are three quick ways to increase your email campaign open rates:

1. Have a Compelling Subject Line

A compelling subject line is made up of two key components. The first component lets the reader know what they can expect to find inside the email and the second makes the reader want to open it. A compelling subject line can be thought of as a promise that’s designed to capture your reader’s attention and should leave them with a desire to open the email and read more. Great subject lines are also short and to the point. A good rule of thumb is to keep subject lines within 50 characters or less.

2. Create Content That Provides Value to Your Reader

It’s essential that your content provide value to your readers. If a reader finds that the emails you send them are not relevant to their interests, it is unlikely that they’ll want to open your future emails. What works is an exchange of value. Your readers must find value in what you are sending them in order for them to give up their time to read it. To ensure that your content provides value to your readers, make sure that your subject line is relevant and provides a promise for some sort of value and that the content of your emails delivers on that promise. It is also helpful to consider using the services of an experienced digital marketing and web design firm in Tampa that specializes in email marketing.

3. Know When to Send Your Email

Another factor that can impact your email open rates is the time of day and day of the week that your emails are sent out. It will require some testing to figure out what your optimal send time is, but knowing the best time to send your emails can have a significant impact on open rates. A popular method used by many Tampa web design companies to find the best send time for emails is through A/B split testing. This is where the same email is sent to two separate email lists at different times. You can then compare the results to determine which email had the highest open rate. Another effective method is to look at historical data to see if there are any discernible patterns between send times and open rates.

If you would like to learn about our email marketing services, please call us today at (866) 611-6267, or submit our free consultation request form.

 

Many business owners mistakenly think that they need to focus all their online marketing efforts on generating as much traffic to their website as possible. While having a lot of traffic is not necessarily a bad thing, how much better and more profitable would it be to convert more of that traffic into paying customers?

Here are three easy and proven ways that will help kick-start your website’s conversion power and turn more traffic into paying customers today.

1. Phone Number

Be sure that your phone number is visible on every page of your website. Your customers like to know that they are working with a company that is accessible. Having your phone number appear on every page of your website will give the impression that your company is accessible, trustworthy, and credible. It is also very important to make sure that the phone number is in text format, and not an image. This will ensure that your phone number is clickable for mobile users, enabling them to call you directly from your website on their mobile device.

2. Contact Forms

Giving users multiple contact options increases the likelihood they will convert, and in addition to providing a phone number, contact forms are essential. Make sure a contact form is on every page of your website or is at least one click away. Limit the amount of information that you require on your contact form to the absolute essentials. If you make it too difficult for your visitors to submit the form, they likely won’t. As a web design company in Tampa, we understand the significant impact that contact forms can have on your website conversions, which is why we incorporate contact forms into every one of our clients’ websites. By having your contact forms readily available to your visitors and by limiting the amount of information you require, you’ll start to see higher conversions in no time.

3. Calls to Action

When a visitor enters your website, what is the desired action you want them to take? Maybe it’s subscribing to a newsletter, or maybe you’d like your visitor to schedule a consultation. Regardless of what action you want a visitor to take, calls to action are very useful. Calls to action (CTAs) are essential for encouraging visitors to take action. Effective CTAs should be clear, concise, and compelling. They should also be clearly distinguished from the rest of the site’s content.

Now that you know 3 easy ways to increase your website conversions, start putting them into action.

Leverage Digital is a Tampa web design company. For a free consultation, please call us today at (866) 611-6267 or submit our contact request form.